The present invention relates to an anti-mismatching pair of complementary connectors such that one of them is unable to fit in or on any wrong foreign connectors, but able notwithstanding its position obverse or reverse to exclusively engage with the other complementary connector.
Generally, the prior art anti-mismatch connectors have each an engagement face formed asymmetric up and down so as not to erroneously engage with wrong connectors, nor to be inverted upside down relative to a correct mating connector. There has been proposed no idea of permitting those anti-mismatch connectors to take their reversed position.
In a case wherein any optional functions are added to a principal existing electronics apparatus, some card-shaped printed circuit boards (hereinafter called xe2x80x98card-shaped boardsxe2x80x99) will be incorporated therein. Each of those card-shaped boards has optional electronics circuits and/or devices surface-mounted thereon, together with an anti-mismatch connector. By inserting the board into the apparatus through its supplementary opening, the anti-mismatch connector secured on an edge of the board will fit in or on a mating connector. In this way, an additional electric communication is established between them within said apparatus. Depending on the size and layout of such additional devices on those boards, some of these boards must be inverted when inserting them. Usually, the electronics apparatus has a plurality of such supplementary inlet apertures or openings. Therefore, the card-shaped board has to be inserted through a predetermined one of supplementary openings so as to engage a predetermined one of mating connectors.
An object of the present invention made considering the requirements and circumstances noted above is to provide an anti-mismatching pair of complementary connectors unlikely to come into wrong connection thereof with any mismatching third connector. This pair of complementary connectors may be designed such that whether one of them takes an obverse position or a reverse position it can engage only with the other complementary connector but can not engage with any other foreign connector.
In order to achieve this object, an anti-mismatching pair of a first and second connectors proposed herein is constructed such that the first connector either of a male or female type comprises two connective planes each having at least one restricted ridge formed integral therewith. The second connector, which correspondingly is either of a female or male type, does likewise comprise two connective planes each having at least one restricting groove formed therein to correspond to the restricted ridge. The number and position of those restricted ridge or ridges and these restricting groove or grooves may be such that the connective planes in each connector have overall contours extending symmetrically with each other with respect to the center point of symmetry lying between them. Such a configuration of each connector will surely restrict it to selectively mate only with another connector of complementary shape, even if it would be reversed upside down.
In an example, one of the first and second connectors may be secured on the end of a card-shaped printed circuit board. Lateral edges of this card-shaped board will be fitted in and guided along a slot that is formed in the other connector so that the one connector can fit in the other connector whether it is at its obverse position or its reverse position relative to the other connector. Preferably, a center plane lying between the connective planes of the connector being fitted in the slot may extend in the direction of insertion to be aligned with the center plane of the card-shaped board.